Holy Sepulchre Cemetery & Mausoleum is a sacred resting place dedicated to the memory of our dearly departed. The right of burial or entombment is conveyed through the burial or entombment privilege certificate. The ownership of land resides with the cemetery, and thus the responsibility for uniformity, public safety and beautification rests with cemetery personnel.
Cemetery employees work in the various sections of the cemetery on a regular basis. As part of their responsibilities, they maintain the beauty and safety of the cemetery. As instructed by the Cemetery Rules & Regulations, to ensure their safety, and the safety of all who visit the cemetery, they are expected to remove decorations which are not in compliance or pose a safety hazard.
Burial in a Catholic cemetery is a long-standing sign of the Church’s reverence for the human body. Appropriately, the ground in a Catholic cemetery is consecrated to receive sacred remains. Selecting a final resting place in a Catholic cemetery recognizes baptismal commitment and gives witness, even in death, to faithfulness to the Church.
The Church maintains Catholic cemeteries because both in life and in death we belong to the Lord (Romans 14:8). Just as faithful have shared and celebrated faith in the community of the Church, so in death their bodies rest with other deceased members of this community, awaiting the day when God will raise their mortal bodies in glory. Catholic cemeteries also stand as a sign to the world that even in death, Christians believe in life. The images of saints in Catholic cemeteries are not mere decorations, they are a sign of belief in the living communion of saints.
Two major cemetery clean-ups will take place; one in the Spring and the other in the Fall. We will be as careful as possible with our normal interment and maintenance activities. We regret that we cannot guarantee all decorations will be free from damage or loss, and we cannot accept responsibility for these occurrences.
Decorations may also be removed by either of these causes. As it is impossible for employees to be everywhere at all times, the cemetery cannot assume liability for decorations. When items are blown about, the grounds crew has no choice but to dispose of them as replacement at specific sites is not possible.
Water spigots throughout the cemetery grounds are turned on in the Spring when there is no more threat of freezing temperatures, and turned off in the Fall to prevent water lines from bursting when reaching freezing temperatures.
The water will be turned off by or before October 15. If a threat of a frost should arise before this date the water will be turned off the day before the frost.
Please refrain from placing any glass items on cemetery grounds as this can create a safety hazard for visitors and cemetery staff. Any glass decorations will be removed and disposed of. We thank you for your cooperation.
Christmas plantings are permitted within the one foot of space immediately in front of the monument. Christmas decorations are removed February 1st, weather permitting.
A common occurrence is the appearance of ground depressions at grave sites. After an interment, as the ground settles, heavy rain and water from melting snow and ice can cause a ground depression or sinkhole at any time throughout the cemetery. Please watch your step as you walk through the sections to your loved one's resting place.
We kindly ask for your assistance in aiding cemetery staff to locate ground depressions, sinkholes or any trip hazards. Please report its location to the office at 973-942-3368. Remember to identify the section you are in and the name that appears on the nearest headstone/monument. Thank you for your attention and assistance in making the grounds safer at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery.